keeping stallions together
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mydaddysjag
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I only have boys here, and run all three together. I have a 12 year old gelding, a 5 year old stallion, and a now yearling stud colt (who seems to know hes still all boy). None of my horses have ever been bred, and I dont have mares on my property which helps keep the peace. Honestly, the nastiest horse in my field is my older gelding, he does NOT like the other horses bothering him. Hes just an old crab. The colt is due to be gelded as soon as his berries drop, its just a matter of time. Really hoping they show up any time, as I wish I could have had him gelded already.
Jill
Aspiring Cowgirl
I think it would depend a lot on the horses, and the amount of space. I would never turn Destiny & DunIT out together, but they have become very good through the fence friends and groom each other for hours a day. Still, I think it could turn on a dime and wouldn't put them together without a fence between them... No plans to put Squirt in with either of these guys when he comes home!
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Royal Crescent
Well-Known Member
We have 9 stallions of various ages running together right now. They are fine as long as they are away from the mares. We separate stallions being bred during breeding season. 1 of the 9 is giving the 3 yr olds a hard time right now so we are going to separate him now. Of course they establish their pecking order but the mares do too.
JMS Miniatures
Well-Known Member
I think as jr horses most intact colts will be fine but once they are breeding no, I personally would not, even pastured with geldings it can be risky.
Riverrose28
Well-Known Member
I've run colts together until I start breeding them or until I have them gelded. If they havn't been bred I have run them together until age three. Seems like once they start breeding the girls they lose their mind when it comes to running with other guys. I have one stallion that will try and kill another. I can't even stall him next to another stallion, he kicks the wall and drives himself crazy. I tried once to put him in a paddock next to another stallion and even though it was stock fence with electric on both sides he still tore it down and attacked the other stallion, it was not pretty. I have two stallions next to each other and they are OK even nuzzles each other, but have not put them in the same paddock. I've read on here that some people do run theirs together so I would assume it would depend on the horse or horses, I haven't had much luck with it.
I used to run all of my stallions together except for Vegas...but only for the months of late October until February or early March. Made it much easier to for water in the winter when I lived up north - not so many bucket or tank heaters and it helped keep my electric bill where it wasn't quite so shocking (pun intended). As soon as they knew spring was in the air and the hormones started raging, I would separate them.
mini horse mania
Well-Known Member
My stallion is 17 and I have a 5 month old colt....they did not do good together...the 5 month old was chased and put down on the ground...i. actually have one mare that is worse than the stalllion...i hate to say it...but she will be finding a new home soon.....I have seen stallions fine together as long as there are no mares close....boy...that is a fight!! Personally...I wont try it again....I have dominant horses that like their own lil groups. I guess my stallion is planning on being the only boss.
Matt73
Well-Known Member
In general, keeping stallions together is a bad idea. If one has a huge pasture and you want to have colts together (under 3 years of age), that's great. But I would never let mature stallions out in the same paddock.
susanne
dB
We used to run two geldings and a stallion together. They were the three amigos and got along beautifully.
Then we brought Scarlett, our mare, home...
Even without breeding, their world turned upside down within seconds. Flash (stallion) went after Mingus (gelding) with the absolutely clear intention of killing him. Mingus had always been the indisputable herd boss, but the worm turned that day. Flash is a good 4 inches shorter, but Mingus was terrified and would have gone over or through the fence if we hadn't been able to separate them. Nowadays, Mingus and Flash are over-the-fence buddies, but they are never without a fence between them.
I have no doubt that many stallions can get along just fine, but having seen how quickly things can go south, I'd always worry.
Then we brought Scarlett, our mare, home...
Even without breeding, their world turned upside down within seconds. Flash (stallion) went after Mingus (gelding) with the absolutely clear intention of killing him. Mingus had always been the indisputable herd boss, but the worm turned that day. Flash is a good 4 inches shorter, but Mingus was terrified and would have gone over or through the fence if we hadn't been able to separate them. Nowadays, Mingus and Flash are over-the-fence buddies, but they are never without a fence between them.
I have no doubt that many stallions can get along just fine, but having seen how quickly things can go south, I'd always worry.
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mydaddysjag
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I'll add, that I believe my stallion is very, very well behaved for a stallion, and I assume its because he has never been bred and just has a quiet temperment. I am pro gelding, anti stallion (hate the temperment) and have always been totally against owning a stallion. I swear, my boy is quieter than any gelding that I have ever owned. We actually got him to geld, but he was very sick over the fall, and not able to be gelded. Since he isnt causing any issues, Ill just geld him in the spring before fly and show season. He has been shown before, and is very nice, but does not have enough "spark" and presence to show in a stallion class. He's more of a dead head. Im actually planning to use him as a youth horse in a few years for my son, whos currently only 18 months old and not old enough to show.
Now, my stud colt, yea, as soon as we can find some berries on him, they will be gone, he's already a handful, he doesn't need to learn any stallion no-no's. As much as I hate the idea of gelding this far into winter because of mud, If his berries showed up tomorrow, I would be making the call to schedule the snip.
Now, my stud colt, yea, as soon as we can find some berries on him, they will be gone, he's already a handful, he doesn't need to learn any stallion no-no's. As much as I hate the idea of gelding this far into winter because of mud, If his berries showed up tomorrow, I would be making the call to schedule the snip.
mydaddysjag
Well-Known Member
I should also ad, I stall all of my horses to be fed, and Id I throw hay in the field, I throw 2 piles per horse, each pile atleast 10-15 feet apart. If I tried to feed them grain together, I am sure theyre would be bad fights. They will have small scuffles over the hay If I dont place it far enough apart, but no more than any other herd of horses.
sfmini
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We do turn young and mature stallions out together and have even done it when breeding with no problem. The key is to have an uneven number of horses. They work things out and are pretty good together and I think the companionship is much better for them and they also learn manners about being with other horses.
It does depend on the individuals though, I tried a 2 year old colt with an older gelding and stallion and he was a terrorist to the older stallion and just wouldn't leave him alone. The stallion wouldn't defend himself so we pulled the young guy out. I want to try again with him with stallions that will not put up with his antics but I have to be super careful as he is one of those Billy Idol/Champion Farms Nighthawk crosses that is doing so well in the show ring. Don't want him too beat up.
I put my Nighthawk son out with three older mares for a season and did they ever put manners on him, and we got a nice colt out of the deal as well. Might have to do that with this young guy before trying him with other boys again.
I would like for them to get along since they will be traveling to shows together and it would make life easier. If I ever get team harness they would be a good pair size wise and the first step in training a team is having them share a stall and turnout 24/7 so they can work out their differences and also bond so they will work together.
It does depend on the individuals though, I tried a 2 year old colt with an older gelding and stallion and he was a terrorist to the older stallion and just wouldn't leave him alone. The stallion wouldn't defend himself so we pulled the young guy out. I want to try again with him with stallions that will not put up with his antics but I have to be super careful as he is one of those Billy Idol/Champion Farms Nighthawk crosses that is doing so well in the show ring. Don't want him too beat up.
I put my Nighthawk son out with three older mares for a season and did they ever put manners on him, and we got a nice colt out of the deal as well. Might have to do that with this young guy before trying him with other boys again.
I would like for them to get along since they will be traveling to shows together and it would make life easier. If I ever get team harness they would be a good pair size wise and the first step in training a team is having them share a stall and turnout 24/7 so they can work out their differences and also bond so they will work together.
stormy
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In my experiance each stallion is differant and you would need to find out what works in your situation. I have 12 breeding age stallions. Of those 2 live together year round, 2 live together during the winter, 1 has a mare in with him all the time(or he constantly paces to the point of harming himself) and the others all live alone in the winter. Some can be pasture bred, some cannot. My very gentlest stallion to handle, one kids have shown in hand and driving, absolutely can not be kept with ANY other horse and needs distance between fencelines as well as he will try to kill another horse, even jumped the fence attacked my quarter gelding one summer! You would never guess he would act that aggresively towards another horse seeing how gentle and easy he is for people to handle.
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minifreishorsefarm
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We have with no problems as long as we dont put them in a pen that mares were just in. We keep our boys together from Oct to May or so. Have even brought a mare into their pen to breed when the second boy was just a yearling and no problems. Once its breeding time though, we do put them apart and the main stallion just kept his eye on the younger one. Breed the younger one in his own pen with the girl brought in. They are both well behaved stallions. The worst thing was when we put the gelding (now sold) and stallion together, they fought hard and mean at first and there wasnt even girls around. They became good friends, but that first few weeks they fought a lot (never drawing blood or anything that bad).
I have since sold the main stallion and now have the 3 yr old stallion and a yearling colt together and the 3 yr old is perfectly fine with the young guy. Am getting a 2 yr old stallion this week and plan to pen him next to these boys for a few days then seeing if they can all run together. The boys pen is away from all girl pens except one shared wall that they can see a little bit of the girls. So that helps. But I have had these boys in pastures next to girls and they do not fight, one might chase the other away from the fence line but that is it, no mean fighting to the death.
I think if you raise them together or when they're younger at least, then it works so much better. I know my stallions hate being alone even in summer breeding time.
Marsha
I have since sold the main stallion and now have the 3 yr old stallion and a yearling colt together and the 3 yr old is perfectly fine with the young guy. Am getting a 2 yr old stallion this week and plan to pen him next to these boys for a few days then seeing if they can all run together. The boys pen is away from all girl pens except one shared wall that they can see a little bit of the girls. So that helps. But I have had these boys in pastures next to girls and they do not fight, one might chase the other away from the fence line but that is it, no mean fighting to the death.
I think if you raise them together or when they're younger at least, then it works so much better. I know my stallions hate being alone even in summer breeding time.
Marsha
Jill
Aspiring Cowgirl
I just can't imagine it working in our own situation and I would think the company that insures Destiny, DunIT and Squirt would be pretty critical of my level of care if I ever (heaven forbid) had to file a claim for injuries they did to each other.
rabbitsfizz
Well-Known Member
Yes, I do and I can happily say that, if you know your horses and if you have enough room, there is not usually any problem with it at all. At present I have a mature stallion, two rising two year old colts and two rising four geldings all in together in about 3 acres.
They play fight and bite at one another amiably but no-one has ever been injured out there. They all eat together, they have four feed bins between five (one bin is HUGE) and three hay nest between five and there are never any problems at feed time either.
OK, having said all that I shall now introduce you to the other side of the coin- Rabbit has never been out with mares or other stallions, he is just not quiet right in the head about them. He lives happily on the other side of a fence to the mares, but will turn himself inside out if he so much as sees another male, gelding or entire, and LOATHES the young colts (he's OK with foals but once weaned....NO) with a loathing deep and true.
Breeding with Rabbit has always been a doddle- you bring the mare up and he covers her at MY pace, being a perfect gentleman, and tolerating the foals hanging on his tail and biting his nose as he breeds.
Turn him loose and he loses it.
So, you have to know your horse, is what I am saying. My bachelor herd is as happy as larry until about March/April and then Carlos the mature stallion comes out and goes in with his mares and foals. He will then not tolerate any male near his mares. This is normal and natural. The way Rabbit behaves is not.
If your horse have all their screws tightened and in the correct place they will be fine.
If they are more highly strung, or just do not like each other, they will not.
They play fight and bite at one another amiably but no-one has ever been injured out there. They all eat together, they have four feed bins between five (one bin is HUGE) and three hay nest between five and there are never any problems at feed time either.
OK, having said all that I shall now introduce you to the other side of the coin- Rabbit has never been out with mares or other stallions, he is just not quiet right in the head about them. He lives happily on the other side of a fence to the mares, but will turn himself inside out if he so much as sees another male, gelding or entire, and LOATHES the young colts (he's OK with foals but once weaned....NO) with a loathing deep and true.
Breeding with Rabbit has always been a doddle- you bring the mare up and he covers her at MY pace, being a perfect gentleman, and tolerating the foals hanging on his tail and biting his nose as he breeds.
Turn him loose and he loses it.
So, you have to know your horse, is what I am saying. My bachelor herd is as happy as larry until about March/April and then Carlos the mature stallion comes out and goes in with his mares and foals. He will then not tolerate any male near his mares. This is normal and natural. The way Rabbit behaves is not.
If your horse have all their screws tightened and in the correct place they will be fine.
If they are more highly strung, or just do not like each other, they will not.
